Many people spend several hours each day either in front of a computer or using their “smart phones”. There is a good chance that you are reading this article from a “smart” device, whether it be a phone or tablet, or the ever increasing (in size anyway) phablet.

When surveyed, teenagers and people in their early 20’s report that they spend almost the entire day using their phone; texting, posting messages, reading email, browsing facebook and twitter etc… Some people even have the urge to text while sleeping; that’s right, rapid eye movement has been replaced with rapid finger taping while sleeping. If you search for “finger twitching while sleeping” you will find many people looking for advice for this relatively new problem. “According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 8-18 year olds spend an average of seven and a half hours using ‘entertainment media’ every day. (Your smart phone is a pain in the neck)”

This finger twitching/tapping, however, is a minor problem compared to the much larger and potentially problematic condition of the “text neck” or “turkey neck” phenomenon.

This condition is created as a result of repeated and prolonged poor posture that is encouraged by using so called smart devices, in particular smart phones.

The tendency is to hold the phone at chest level and tilt the head and neck forward to look down at the phone. When you do this, a tremendous pressure is placed on the neck and over time the spine begins to degenerate.

“Dean Fishman, a chiropractor in Florida, was examining an X-ray of a 17-year-old patient’s neck in 2009 when he noticed something unusual. The ghostly image of her vertebral column showed a reversal of the curvature that normally appears in the cervical spine — a degenerative state he’d most often seen in middle-aged people who had spent several decades of their life in poor posture.

‘That’s when I looked over at the patient, ‘Fishman says. She was slumped in her chair, head tilted downward, madly typing away on her cellphone. When he mentioned to the patient’s mother that the girl’s posture could be causing her headaches, he got what he describes as an “emotional response.’ It seemed the teen spent much of her life in that position. Right then, Fishman says, ‘I knew I was on to something.”

“The head in neutral has a normal weight” of 10 to 12 pounds, says Fishman, explaining that neutral position is ears over shoulders with shoulder blades pulled back. “If you start to tilt your head forward, with gravity and the distance from neutral, the weight starts to increase.”

This pressure on the neck and spine can vary between neutral to 60 pounds at a 60 degree tilt forward. Imagine carrying around 60 pounds on your neck, for several hours each day!

“Judith Gold, ScD, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Temple University’s College of Health Professions and Social Work, presented evidence at this year’s meeting of the American Public Health Association suggesting that the more college students texted, the more pain they reported in their necks and shoulders.”

What can we do to prevent these problems?

The usual recommendations are good, however, they do not go far enough. For instance, recommending that the person sit with a straight back/spine, shoulders relaxed, head straight, bring the phone up to eye level rather than looking down, limit extended use by taking frequent breaks etc…

There is a better solution that will enhance the above recommendations. Practice the ancient Taoist “Turtle Exercise”.

Sit in a comfortable chair or on the floor (if floor then cross your legs), wrap your fingers around your thumbs (baby fist) and rest them on your lap. Sit with the back straight, lightly close the eyes, take a deep breath in and bring your chin down slightly and back towards the throat so the back of the neck stretches upward, exhale and bring the chin up so the back of the neck “folds into the shoulders”, repeat 12 times, slowly and do not strain. Practice 3 sets of 12 once or twice daily, or when needed. This will help to strengthen the spine, and nerves, and also serves as a meditation when combined with “Crane Breathing”.

This in addition to the other Taoist Internal Exercises will help to ensure that you prevent or help improve this painful and damaging problem.

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